


Protector

by EndlessExplorer



Series: A modern Age of Dragons [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Amputation, Anger, Canon Disabled Character, Disability, Disabled Character, Engagement, F/M, Friendship/Love, Gen, Love, Marriage Proposal, Modern Era, Modern Thedas, Mother-Daughter Relationship, One Shot, Physical Disability, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-12-26 01:45:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18273269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EndlessExplorer/pseuds/EndlessExplorer
Summary: A modern AU concerning male Trevelyan named Victor and Cassandra.---Cassandra is forced to go to a high society party by her family but with her boyfriend by her side, the evening goes a different way than she had ever planned.





	Protector

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: I have never done an AU before so if you think I've done horribly, please let me know.
> 
> I know that you never met Cassandra's parents in the game but in a modern setting, I could still see her mother as a Lady. Cassandra may also be nobleborn but I could see her trading in the lavish lifestyle for a police badge...
> 
> I know it's probably painfully obvious but did anyone get who 'Solomon' is in reference to?

               “Are you ready yet?!”

               “I thought you didn’t want to go?”

               Cassandra could tell from the tone in his voice that Victor had that damn smirk plastered on his face before she even walked into their bedroom. Victor looked well when he dressed up and tonight, he didn’t seem to be pulling out any stops. He was trying to tie his bowtie, which with only having one arm, Cassandra didn’t envy him. Cassandra placed her hand on his shoulder as she stood in front of him and he relented the tie to her. He looked ashamed but he perked back up again when Cassandra finished off the tie with a chaste kiss to his jawline.

               While the visual scars had healed nicely, there were still nights where Victor would bolt up in bed, screaming and clawing at the stump where his right arm used to be. Phantom pain is what the doctors called it, and that it would eventually pass, but Cassandra still hated seeing the raw pain and fear in his eyes as he sobbed into her shoulder.

               She could still remember it. Victor had been kidnapped by a man named Solomon. There didn’t seem to be any apparent reason why Victor had been picked but it was later revealed that during one of his contracting jobs, Victor’s men had broken a buried section of his family tomb. Solomon felt that his family had always been looked down on and spat on and this latest insult had been the last straw. He was a madman. She led the squad of cops that had stormed his place and found Victor strapped to a chair and no sign of Solomon. He was circling the drain when he arrived at the hospital in Haven, and in fear of losing him, Cassandra had told the doctors to whatever it took, she’d pay.

               The bitter truth was that Solomon had managed to pose as a member of her squad. When she finally put the pieces together and went to confront him, Solomon had somehow managed to disappear without a trace.

               Cassandra knew that Victor was grateful for saving his life, but at the same time he felt horrible that she had to do it. He felt guilty about the whole situation despite how many times she assured him that it was alright and that it wasn’t even his fault. Cassandra came from old money, so it wasn’t an issue. Speaking of old money, that’s also the reason of why they were both dressed up tonight. Cassandra had been almost forcibly invited to some high society party by her family. She had told them no at the beginning but after a long conversation and a promise from Victor that he’d go as her plus one, she finally relented.

               “Well you changed that, didn’t you?! And as much as I didn’t want to go, I don’t want to be late even more. So, go and get your ass in the car.”

               Victor slapped his hand to his forehead and puffed out his chest.

               “Will do ma’am!”

               Cassandra slapped him on the chest and pointed towards the door. As she turned around and made sure she had everything in her purse, she yelped and swung when she felt someone grab her ass. Victor dodged the swing but started fearing for his life when Cassandra started glaring daggers at him. Putting up his arm in a surrender, Cassandra couldn’t help the smirk on her face from spreading.

               “You can’t do that tonight, alright?”

               “Ok… but can I say something?”

               “If I say no, are you going to listen? Oh wait, what am I saying? Of course, you won’t.”

               “Nope, but what I was going to say is, can we please stay home?”

               Cassandra was surprised. “What’s with the change of attitude?”

               “Call me possessive all you want, but I don’t want anyone staring at the most beautiful woman in the room.” Victor leaned in and nibbled slightly on Cassandra’s ear. “She’s _mine_ …”

               Cassandra’s eye’s fluttered slightly but before it went past the point of her having to redo her hair and makeup, she placed her hand on Victor’s cheek. Victor started rubbing up against it like a cat.

               “Maybe if you’re good, we can run in, say our peace, and leave early. Maybe we can throw on a movie and depending on how good you are, we mightn’t even watch it. Just use it to drown out the noise we’ll be making…”

               Victor started pacing through their bedroom, stuffing Cass’ car keys, purse, and anything else he could grab under his arm. She could help but laugh at his antics but stopped when she heard him running down the hallway and crashing into one of the small tables.

               “Be careful!”

\--

               Cassandra had seen and been to enough of these parties to last her a lifetime. While to the inexperienced it looked like a time to lay back, relax, and have fun, Cassandra knew that it was all a ruse for networking. Lives were made and destroyed in those back rooms. With the proper palms greased, fantasies could become realities and Cassandra hated every little piece of it. Cassandra had an idea why her family insisted that she come tonight, and while she hated keeping things in their relationship, she felt that the added stress wouldn’t help Victor’s slow recovery. As long as her fears didn’t come to pass, there was no reason to set off any powder kegs tonight. Both her and Victor were dressed in nice clothes, Victor had a glass of champagne in his hand and she was more than happy to just see a smile on his face.

               Cassandra relaxed slightly when Victor brushed in beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She was never an overly emotional person but if there was ever a person that seemed to be fluent in ‘Cassandra Pentaghast’, it was Victor.

               “You seem tense. You Ok?”

               It was like Victor to be worried about her and vice versa. They were each other’s protector.

               “I’m alright. I’m wishing that I brought my book along with us but foresight’s a bitch. What about you?”

               “I’m fine. I’ve noticed that people seem rather obsessed or repulsed with my arm but I’m not letting it get to me. I’m here for you, and you alone.”

               Cassandra squeezed her fist like she usually does when she wants to burn off her anger. Well actually, she usually goes down to the firing range back at the station but the extensive lessons on proper etiquette that were drilled into her as a child forbade her from pulling out her firearm. Never mind her policewoman’s instincts.

               “Who?! Why do these people feel like they can look down on others! I’ve always wanted to know!”

               Victor pressed a kiss to her temple and squeezed her gently. “There’s no need to get angry for my sake. Just enjoy your evening, please?”

               “I’d be a lot more comfortable at home with you, in my sweats, reading a book. Not being here in this… this… hell.”

               Victor pressed his hand to his chest in mock shock. “And whose been teaching you this potty mouth?!”

               “You ass…”

               “You know you like it. It’s soft, supple, chiselled from the finest parts available.”

               “You may want to go back about that. I’d say you were played.”

               “You wound me Miss Pentaghast.”

               Cassandra noticed more than enough pairs of eyes turn their way after Victor let her name slip. Again, to the inexperienced, people would call her paranoid, but this was a life that while she may have been out of the loop, Cassandra was still well versed in. A well placed word here and there could take down even the highest echelon of society.

               “Ah Cassandra!”

               She sighed and wished that the club soda in her hand was suddenly a tumbler of good whiskey. While it would have meant getting a cab home, Cassandra always felt that strong alcohol was the best way to numb her mother’s efforts to get under her skin. She noticed that Victor was very nervous. Turning around, Cassandra bared the biggest fake smile she could and embraced her mother.

               Victor watched Cass beside him. It was no secret to him that Cass hated her family, but he also knew that if he or she caused a scene at this party, it would be all over the morning papers. Cassandra’s mother carried herself like a queen, and from Cassandra’s many rants about her, Victor had a feeling like that’s how she saw herself. Poised, dignified, and authoritative, Lady Tigana Pentaghast was certainly intimidating. Realising that she was turning towards him, Victor quickly bowed, trying his best to convey his respect for her.

               “Daughter? Will you come with me please?”

               Cassandra tried to grab Victor’s forearm, but her mother grabbed her before she could close her fist. Two guards in well-trimmed suits suddenly appeared beside them and the Lady Tigana smiled.

               “It’ll only be for a minute or so. William and Francis here will keep an eye on your ‘friend’. Now come along.”

               Cassandra walked with her mother through the gaggling crowds. She felt like something bad was about to happen and she didn’t like it.

\--

               “Why must you always make my life so very hard Cassandra?”

               That struck a nerve. Cassandra clenched her fist to keep her cool, although her mother always had a skill for making that little trick pointless.

               “What do you mean by that mother?”

               “Cassandra do not play me for a fool! I talked to Lord Gaspard and he told me about how you never even turned up to your date with his son! Do you know how hard I work to arrange those meetings for you?”

               Where most people would crumble under her mother’s intimidating presence, Cassandra never did. She never saw her as a mother, simply someone who was always trying to use her as a pawn in a game.

               “I didn’t because Lord Gaspard’s son is a leech. Never mind the fact that he has a rap sheet as tall as me and the only reason that he hasn’t been arrested yet is because of his father’s power. Also, I don’t need or want your ‘help’ when it comes to my personal life. So kindly fuck off!”

               Cassandra’s vision suddenly spun as her mind tried to register what happened. Her mother had slapped her across the face with the back of her hand.

               “Cassandra Filomena Pentaghast, you will mind your tone and language when you address me!”

               With how tight she was clenching her teeth, Cassandra was partially afraid of breaking or at least chipping a tooth. Rational thought was quickly becoming cloudy with the rage building in her gut towards this woman who she unfortunately had to call her mother.

               “Another thing, I have a boyfriend so you can stop the matchmaking!”

               “Oh please, he isn’t even worthy of a Pentaghast! Stop spending time with that lop-sided charity case and go and marry someone proper.”

               That was the last straw. Baring her teeth, Cassandra pointed her finger at her mother.

               “There isn’t a single person in this world who I would rather marry over Victor. He’s funny, passionate about his interests, and rather than you, he actually treats me like a person. He listens to me, comforts me, and despite his injury he always tries to cheer me up after a long day at work.”

               “And that’s another thing, what’s this I hear of you being a police officer? A Pentaghast working alongside murderers and rapists?! We are Shepherds who lead, not sheep to be led by others! You are to stop this frivolous and childish behaviour at once and come home!”

               Now it was Tigana’s turn to reel back in astonishment as Cassandra slapped her. Cassandra had never felt so betrayed by her mother before and she just wanted to leave but not before she said what she had wanted to say years ago.

               “It’s you who aren’t worthy. You’re not worthy of being considered a human being. You are a narcissistic heartless shrew who shouldn’t have it as good as you do. If you ever come near me or Victor again, I will have you thrown into a deep dark hole that’s probably similar to the one you crawled out of.”

               Cassandra went to leave but as she laid her hand down on the handle of the study;

               “You leave this room and you are no longer a Pentaghast. You’ll be an outcast, and your trust fund frozen. You’ll be a NOBODY!!!”

               “For the first time in my life Tigana, you’ve finally given me something I’ve always wanted. Goodbye forever.”

               Cassandra opened the study and shut the door behind her. For the first time in her life, Cassandra felt like she had finally taken a blow to her mother, to the puppeteer that was always trying to orchestrate her life. Their argument was surely heard by the partygoers and she was willing to bet that her face would be on the tabloids in the morning, but she didn’t care. She felt great but the feeling didn’t last long as when she returned to her car in the garage, she found Victor. He had been beaten and his clothes torn. He looked miserable.

               “What happened to you?!” Cassandra had a fair idea.

               “Those guys who your mother said would look after me? They brought me down here and offered me 50,000 to dump you. When I refused, they got ‘punchy’.”

               Hearing that he took a beating because he loved her made Cassandra’s heart flutter, but Victor was always been a bit of a joker and seeing him wince as he tried to do inverted comma’s with his only hand broke her heart. It also gave her another new look at that witch who used to be her mother. She would willingly beat up an amputee in some hideous, sadistic effort to get her daughter back under her thumb. She wrapped her arms around Victor and immediately backed up when she heard him gasp sharply.

               “We’ve got to get you to the hospital quickly…”

               Victor nodded and after Cassandra had helped him into his seat, she quickly ran around to her own. Spotting something twinkling, Cassandra walked over and found a ring. It was a rather simple ring with a pale blue sapphire encrusted on top. Along the inside of the band, her name was written. It was beautiful. Sitting in beside Victor, she showed him the ring. He looked away, embarrassed.

               “What is this?”

               Victor sighed. “I was going to ask your mother for permission to propose to you. While I was getting to know your mother’s ‘friends’ it fell from my pocket. They threw the ring away and laughed. I know that you couldn’t care less about what she thinks and that us having her blessing probably matters even less but I felt like it might have been the proper thing to do. I mean you come from a family of lords and ladies, dukes and duchesses… you deserve the best.

               Cassandra was caught off guard. Sure, it had been an idea that she had humoured while she read her various books but here it was. She was holding her actual engagement ring in her hand. Closing her fist around the ring, she leaned over.

               “Ask me.”

               Victor suddenly looked the most nervous that she had ever seen. Despite the blood from the various small cuts and bruises, his cheeks had tinted a deep scarlet.

               “Cassandra Filomena Pentaghast, will you do me the honour of allowing me to be your husband?”

               Cassandra nodded her head and Victor suddenly beamed. It lasted a short time however as Victor winced again in pain. Cassandra slipped the ring on her finger. A perfect fit.

               “I was hoping you’d ask me to marry you. I’ll explain the rest later but I’m no longer a Pentaghast. Looks like I’ll be taking your name.”

               “Sorry, what?!”

               “I said I’ll explain the rest later. Now relax and I’ll go as gentle as possible.”

               On their way to the hospital, Victor fell asleep in the passenger seat. While waiting for a light to change, Cassandra took another look at the ring. It was beautiful. Not flashy, just practical and perfect. She hadn’t expected her day to go this way, but she couldn’t believe it. Glancing at Victor, she thought;

               He may not have realised it, but he was her Protector.

 


End file.
